Indiana Expanding Health Care To Uninsured

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Beginning next week, more uninsured Indiana residents will be able to apply for low-cost health insurance under the state's expanded Healthy Indiana Plan.

Gov. Mike Pence secured federal approval for the Medicaid alternative program, called HIP 2.0, to expand health coverage to 350,000 uninsured residents.

Supporters say the state-run program increases participant responsibility and reduces high-cost visits to the ER for routine medical care.

Under the plan, residents who can afford it, contribute a modest monthly sum to a health savings account to pay for deductibles. The rest would be covered by the state. In return, those resident would receive more enhanced benefits, including dental and vision.

For those residents at or below the poverty line, no contributions would be required, but they would receive a reduced menu of benefits.

All residents enrolled in HIP would also be eligible for job training and search programs.

The state has provided an eligibility calculator for residents to determine whether they qualify for HIP or should pursue a plan under the federal health insurance exchange.

The plan builds off the current Healthy Indiana Plan that enrolls some 60,000 low-income Indiana residents.

"This is a victory for the working poor … and a victory for Medicaid reform," Pence said.

Indiana was the first state to win approval of a waiver to enact its own program Medicaid expansion program as required by the federal Affordable Care Act.